


reader, i married him

by celadores



Category: Jane Eyre (2011), Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Jane Eyre Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Crossover, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Rating Will Change to Explicit, Supernatural Elements, governess Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 18:24:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17513633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celadores/pseuds/celadores
Summary: rey is obscure, poor, little, and plain, and mister ren drives her crazy





	1. even for me life had its gleams of sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> a modern reylo retelling of 'jane eyre' ! mostly based on the 2011 movie but draws from the novel as well. enjoy and please comment!

Not a single job.

It shouldn’t have surprised Rey—she’d been hunting for months after graduation and nothing was opening up. No matter how many times she called and pestered companies for interviews, no one wanted to give her a chance. She couldn’t even find a minimum wage job to hold her over, and her savings were quickly running out.

Annoyed, she shoved her chair away from the desk and scowled at the computer. A flawless GPA was useless in the real world. Apparently, so was a teaching degree. Never mind that she had graduated the program far ahead of schedule at only nineteen years old. And who cared about her years of experience? She was too young and none of them trusted her. Rey Eyre was, to them, as useful as a bag of rocks.

She stood up to pace her half of the room she shared with another girl, Rose. It was all she could afford and soon she wouldn’t be able to keep helping pay rent. Rey left her job as a teaching assistant because the staff was downright unbearable, and she had been regretting it ever since.

 “Get a grip, Rey,” she muttered. “Just place another ad online and someone will answer eventually.”

But it was hard to comfort herself. She didn’t have parents to fall back on for financial support, and her father’s side of the family had never liked her. Boarding school left her kind of weird and awkward so she had a difficult time interviewing whenever places finally called back. Rey wanted to be a full-fledged teacher but desperation was driving her to seek out assistant or nanny jobs.

It was coming down to the wire and she was terrified she would be left out on the street.

Walking in circles wasn’t helping the situation. She had to try her best to be logical, cool, and collected like she always was. She closed her eyes and took in a deep, steadying breath, determined to get a grip on herself. Something would open up. Someone would understand that even though she was a bit quiet and reserved, she was still an extremely effective teacher. Kids would learn a lot from her. She spoke three languages, and—

 “Rey! Dinner time!”

Loud chatter followed her roommate’s shout. It was Charlotte and the other three girls; they went out to grab all of them Chipotle for a midweek cheat day. She let out a breath and plastered a smile on her face before heading downstairs to meet them.

Rey was the bland brunette in a sea of red and blonde: save for Rose. She didn’t know any of the other girls that well, except their names: Anne was short and blonde, Jane was short and red-headed, and Charlotte was tall and blonde. They all sort of blended together, but Rose was unique, short with thick black hair and a big smile.

 “Thank god,” Rey sighed. “Job hunting is stressing me out.”

They were all poor post-grads, but the other girls had better prospects than she did. Science and health degrees were far more lucrative than education. Rey had been stupid and careless and followed her heart right into the pit of poverty.

Rose smiled and sat next to Rey, already digging into her own burrito. “You’ll find something soon. You know how bad the job market is!”

Rose and her were actually quite close. She was bookish and quiet like Rey and also had suffered some borderline abusive religious teachings in childhood. They didn’t talk much about it, but there was a quiet camaraderie between them. Rose understood Rey better than anyone else.

Rey shrugged, morose. “You’re right, I guess.”

They finished dinner and Rey left the other girls in the living room to go for a walk outside. It was a cold November night and the sun had set hours ago. She stuck her hands under her armpits as she walked farther and farther from the two-story house she and her roommate shared with a family of three. It was a rich suburb in Vermont, so they were lucky to find anything suitable to live in.

Nighttime walks were her favorite hobby. The moon shone bright and round overhead and street lamps illuminated the path. Rose would probably call to make sure she was okay in a little while, and she’d wait up for Rey to come home.

Rey had gone through a different upbringing than most girls her age, and it was hard to relate to them. She didn’t find them irritating and she certainly didn’t look down on them. In fact, she was jealous. She wanted to forget her time at Hiwood Boarding School but it was a permanent part of her, no matter what.

Rey was small and poor and plain. She was taught to think of herself in that way—supposedly, to strengthen her character. But as she grew older and more and more distant from her peers, she realized how very small, and poor, and plain that she was. Wiry brown hair, the plainest of hazel eyes, and skin pale like a hospital wall. Yes, Rey Eyre wasn’t particularly interesting.

Her favorite bench was unoccupied, so she sat down to admire the trees lining the block. As uninteresting as she was, she knew full well how intelligent and capable she was. Rey never downplayed her strengths and did her best to express them whenever it was appropriate. Looks and money would fade. Skills would only grow with time.

She shivered in the cold and rubbed her arms. Rey bought all her clothes secondhand a few years back and a lot of them weren’t doing too well. There were tears and wear that let the frigid air seep right in. A new wardrobe was her first order of business after she had a new job. Well—that and making sure rent and other bills were paid.

Then, as if by divine providence, her cell phone rang.

Rey’s first thought was that Rose was calling a little early. She frowned and checked, expecting to see her picture smiling through the cold darkness. Instead, it was a number she didn’t recognize.

Her frown deepened. Who was calling so late at night? There was next to no one who wanted to talk to her, and she wasn’t familiar with the area code. She pursed her lips, wondering if it was worth accepting the call. Maybe another telemarketer?

She accepted it anyhow. “This is Rey Eyre. Can I ask who’s calling?”

 “Miss Eyre? I’m terribly sorry to call you so late in the evening. I’m responding to the ad you posted online the other day.” There was some shuffling, then; “I would have called sooner but I don’t understand the bloody internet that well.”

Rey jumped out of the bench, heart pounding. A job offer? But the voice on the other end of the phone sounded old—and British.

 “Um… That’s okay,” Rey said. She swallowed hard and sat down like the woman could see her. “Yes, I’m still in search of work so if you know of anything...”

 “Oh, yes!” the woman laughed. “I certainly do. My name is Maz Kanata—you can just call me Maz. I’m the housekeeper of an estate up north, close to the border of Canada. I wanted to offer you an in-house teaching position.”

Maz sounded friendly, but she was definitely formal. Rey got up from the bench, too anxious to sit anymore, and began pacing around it. In-house teaching position?

 “When could we meet for an interview?” she asked.

 “I haven’t any time for that. If you’d like this job, I would like to know right now. You will not have to pay any rent, and your meals will be paid for. Your salary will be fifty thousand a year.”

Rey’s eyes widened. Fifty thousand?! With no rent and no food bills?! There had to be a catch.

 “I’m very interested,” Rey managed, “but I hope you understand that this is a bit… um… concerning.”

Maz sighed. “Yes, it isn’t the type of job offer you receive often anymore. Why don’t you drive by tomorrow afternoon and I can give you a tour? You have impressive credentials and I heard great things about you from Hiwood.”

 “Of course!” Rey blurted without a second thought. “I just need the address.”

There was another pause and she heard some clicking.

 “The house is—ah— ‘off the grid.’ I can meet you in the closest town and show you the way. The owner is a bit of a recluse and doesn’t want to be found.”

It could turn out to be the greatest experience of Rey’s life or the worst. Maybe even the last. But what did she have to lose? She hadn’t had a call back in weeks and Maz sounded friendly enough. She could bring Rose to the tour just in case. They had cell phones for extra protection.

Trembling with excitement, Rey genuinely smiled for the first time in weeks.

 “I’ll meet you at noon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no beta

As expected, Rose thought Rey was insane. She was partially right, but mostly her insanity was driven by desperation. It was a possible job—no, it was a possible _career_ , and Rey couldn’t let that slip through her fingers. She could have everything she dreamed of, and she wouldn’t have to share a small house with four other women anymore. What would it hurt to go for a tour?

They were hanging out in their room weighing the risks and benefits. The other girls had gone to sleep a while ago but Rose and Rey were too neurotic to take a risk without obsessing over it.

Rose was lying on Rey’s bed, kicking her short legs off the edge as she thought. “It could be a trap. You know how crazy people are today. What if she kills both of us?”

 “Seems like a lot of effort on her part.” Rey  pushed back on the edge of her chair’s legs. “We’ll have our cell phones and everyone knows where we’ll be.”

 “I don’t know. It seems to good to be true, Rey.”

But Rey wouldn’t budge. Every time Rose came up with another reason they shouldn’t go, Rey  had three more to convince her that they should. Rose eventually got sick and tired of trying to convince Rey and irately threw up her hands in defeat before going to bed.

Rey crawled under the covers of her own bed and tried to ease her own concerns. Rose was justified in being so paranoid. Rey Googled ‘Maz Kanata’ and couldn’t find out who she was or where she was from. She told Rey the place she would work was called ‘Thornfield Hall’ but Rey couldn’t find any information about it. She was extremely apprehensive but also extremely desperate.

Rose wasn’t really one to argue so they both woke up bright and early the next day for their trip. Maz was going to meet them in Eagleton, a small town she said was a half hour ride from Thornfield. Eagleton was about three hours away from home, so they had a bit of an excursion on their hands. Rey scraped up what she had left in savings for gas and left with Rose.

Rose cast an acidic glare at the backseat of Rey’s Jetta once they were in the car.

 “You shouldn’t bring everything right now,” Rose said. “What if this whole thing is a scam or your friend ‘Maz’ tries to rob us?”

 “Well she told me the position was immediate, so I want to be prepared. If it’s nothing or something happens then oh well.”

 “I hope this works out for you, Rey.”

She smiled faintly as Rose started the car. “Me too.”

The drive wasn’t terrible. They followed a major highway for an hour or so before dropping off onto progressively smaller roads. The Green Mountains grew taller and wider the further they drove north, which enthralled Rose. She forgot that she was annoyed with Rey and gradually started chatting about careers and where they hoped to end up.

They finally arrived in Eagelton around eleven in the morning and stopped for a quick lunch before Rey called Maz. It was nice little diner with a few locals eating breakfast.

 “At least they have good food.” Rose stuffed her french toast in her mouth faster than she could chew. She scanned the mostly empty diner, looking a bit suspicious. “Quiet place, though. Small. Doesn’t even look like they have a public library.”

 “Why does that matter?” Rey laughed.

 “You like reading and you might not have service at this place you’re going to. Even _you_ would eventually run out of books.”

Rey pressed her lips together and picked at her omelet. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I could always go to a bigger city in the area to buy some more.”

The waitress stopped by at that moment to refill their coffees. She was an older woman; probably what a grandmother would look like. She glanced between Rose and Rey, not suspicious, but curious. Her name tag said ‘Dottie’ in round, flowery letters.

 “What brings you girls so far away from civilization?” she asked in a Southern drawl.

 “My friend Rey has a job interview!” Rose said, beaming. “We’re waiting for the housekeeper to bring us there.”

Dottie frowned. “A job? Around here?” She looked at Rey, eyes even more interested. “Whereabouts? Most people leave Eagleton to find work. They don’t come here looking for it.”

 “Thornfield Hall,” Rey said. “As a… live-in teacher, I guess.”

This really threw Dottie for a loop. She blinked at then without saying a word, and returned her coffee pot to the tray she was carrying. This time her eyes shifted around conspiratorially and she stepped a bit closer to the table. There was no one around to hear her, anyway.

 “I’ve heard stories about Thornfield,” she said, leaning down a bit. “Hauntings. Supernatural things supposedly happen in the woods. But the owner, Mister Ren, is rarely home to substantiate the rumors, and Missus Kanata rarely visits Eagleton.”

The ‘old haunted building’ part went right over Rose’s head. She was more interested in the latter half of Dottie’s warning.

 “Why do they never visit?” she asked.

 “Mister Ren has always been a very private man. He invented some thingamajig that made him even wealthier than he already is.” Dottie collected a few of their plates and shrugged. “Seems to me like he’s afraid of the house. Missus Kanata is too devoted to Thornfield to be away from it for long. She’s Ren’s aunt, I think.”

 “It’s haunted?” Rey squeaked, suddenly anxious.

 “So they say,” Dottie said. She smiled reassuringly. “I’m not trying to scare you, Rey, just offering some advice. Very few people have ventured to see Thornfield, let alone go inside and see if it’s truly haunted. Can I get you girls anything else?”

They paid their tab and headed back to the car. Rose was deep in thought but didn’t seem particularly upset about what they’d just learned. Rey, on the other hand, was having second thoughts.

 “I can’t live in a haunted house!” she hissed. “Maz never mentioned that I might have to deal with ghosts walking around!”

 “I’m sure that’s just a rumor,” Rose said. “I’m more concerned about how reclusive the two of them are. Seems sort of weird for Maz to stay by herself all the time.”

 “She’s probably a little old lady who doesn’t like to travel.”

Rose wasn’t entirely convinced but dropped the subject. They waited in the parking lot, where Maz told them to meet her, and soon the meeting time of noon came around.

If Rey ended up taking the job, Rose was going to take the train back home. It was a pretty direct route so one of the other girls would pick her up from the station when she arrived back.

A shiny black mid-century truck pulled up around 12:10. Rey could see a small old woman in the front seat with sunglasses and a hat on. She parked a spot or two away from Rose and Rey and slowly emerged from her truck. It was in nearly pristine condition.

They got out of Rey’s Jetta to meet her and Rey was a little surprised to see that Maz looked exactly how she imagined. She had short grey  hair pulled back in a bun and wore a simple blue blouse with gray slacks. If she was taller than five feet, Rey would’ve never guessed it. Her friendly face lined with the marks of age, with only a little makeup on.

 “You must be Miss Eyre!” Maz said excitedly as she bustled over.

 “Yes, and this is my friend, Rose,” Rey replied, smiling  

Rey went to shake Maz’s hand but she forsook the gesture to hug her tighter than anyone ever had. Rey’s eyes almost bugged out from the sheer force of the tiny woman’s embrace.

 “Thank you so much for coming,” Maz said, releasing her at last. “I was so very worried that you would be frightened off by my poor wording over the phone, but now you’re here!” She put her sunglasses over the brim of her hat, revealing warm brown eyes. “So, are we ready to go?”

There wasn’t much else to be said. Rose and Rey got back in her car and followed Maz out of Eagleton, down a fairly well-worn dirt road. Rey worried her Jetta wouldn’t be able to tolerate the bumps but it seemed like most of the bigger rocks had been removed from the path. She  trailed along after her future employer and tried not to be distracted by the beautiful countryside.

 “This would be a great place for you to paint,” Rose said, sticking her head out the window. “But it’s gonna be impossible to come down here with your car when it snows.”

The thought made Rey a little nervous. Would she be trapped at Thornfield Hall all winter? What if there was an emergency, medical or otherwise, and she couldn’t even get back to tiny Eagleton?

They continued on gradually shrinking roads for at least an hour. When Rey grew irritated with the length of the drive, the forest they passed through suddenly opened up and she had her first view of the enormous Thornfield Hall.

Rey had seen Victorian-era mansions in books and movies but had never had the opportunity to see one in real life.

Thornfield Hall put everything she knew to shame. Long pillars extended from the roof to the front entryway that was barred by two enormous doors. Rey hardly noticed the numerous outbuildings as they approached the doors, and also failed to notice the road had turned to pavement a ways back.

There had to be fifty windows lining Thornfield Hall. They all looked quite new, probably because old mansions didn’t retain heat well. The building was flanked by large archways that Rey assumed led into the backyard, where another garden was tended to.

The stone was clearly quite old. Time had tried to destroy it but Maz and Mr. Ren seemed to do a lot of work to keep it in shape. It didn’t belong in Vermont—it belonged in England, maybe owned by a well-to-do family from the early 1800s.

The grounds were equally stunning. Gardeners tended to their duties, watering and fertilizing an array of colorful plants and shrubs. Weeping willows grew in clusters around the edges of the front yard, ending where the forest began. The grass was even and green and a pond was situated within the circle of the driveway. The landscaping made the place seem ethereal—but the foreboding mansion was a bit somber.

They parked in the semicircle that dropped them off in front of the doors. Rose and Rey both gawked at the monstrosity of a mansion as they ascended the steps with Maz, who chatted away. She handed her keys to a doorman and encouraged Rey to do the same.

It was impossible to fully convey the inside of Thornfield Hall. The floors alternated between beautiful dark wood, marble, and travertine tile. The walls were painted subdued colors or had tasteful wallpaper that fit the time period the house was likely from. Decor was all over the place—end tables, lamps, paintings, sculptures. Nothing modern.

The foyer they entered was immense. A skylight spilled sunshine across us as they walked across shiny wood floors, underneath an old, expensive ceiling painting of angels and cherubs. They passed more sculptures and between two huge staircases that curved up to the second floor.

 “Thornfield is a quiet place,” Maz said as she let them into another room. “Mister Ren has revitalized quite a bit of the house but there are still some dark and cold areas.”

The room was comparatively small. There was a loveseat and a couch and some other chairs. Rey sat across from Maz in a chair and Rose awkwardly took the loveseat. All the furniture looked like it was from the turn of the 19th century but none of it looked dirty or old. Mister Ren had a strange sense of taste. Most rich people filled their houses with modern things.

They got right to the point. Rey asked Maz what was expected of her, and she said Rey was merely expected to teach and help Mr. Ren’s adopted daughter, Adele. She was from France and hardly spoke English, so she needed a translator. Only Mr. Ren could communicate with her.

Maz once again told Rey she would make $50,000 per year, including free rent, healthcare, and meals if she wanted them. Rey tried to to figure out if there was a catch. She would have her own bedroom, bathroom, and small living room away from the other parts of the house. It would offer privacy when Rey was finished with Adele for the day.

She could take a vacation as often as she liked, but was expected to keep Adele at a certain set of standards. If she fell outside of them, Rey had to bring her up to speed quickly. Rey was not expected to work on weekends and was free to leave whenever she wanted to. And—most importantly—Thornfield Hall had internet access. How else would she teach Adele? _Books?_

 “How long will I be able to work here?” Rey asked when she could think of nothing else to ask.

Maz half shrugged. “Quite a while. Adele is only eight years old, so she will need a teacher for at least a decade. After that, I’m sure Mister Ren will find you a new position.”

Rose and Rey had originally intended on discussing everything together, but simply exchanged a glance.

Maz already had a contract prepared and everything seemed to be checking out okay. Rey chewed on her lower lip for a minute or two, heart pounding with nerves and excitement, and let out a big breath.

 “Okay,” she said. “I would love to accept this opportunity.”


End file.
